Some sixty-six million years ago our planet was struck by an asteroid, ending the age of the dinosaurs. In the aftermath, the much smaller organisms that survived this mass extinction – mammals – flourished. An enormous number of mammal species now populate the world, from bats to bears, wolves to whales. How exactly did all these creatures develop from their distant, diminutive ancestors?

Rise Of The Mammals (Friday 24^th, 730pm) explains how recently- discovered fossil evidence has increased our understanding of this evolutionary process. In Colorado, fossils concealed within seemingly ordinary rocks provide fascinating insights into how plants and animals evolved in tandem, and offer valuable clues as to how life on earth withstood the most violent of upheavals.